This application claims the priority of German Patent No. 196 35 457.9, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a tube-block-type heat transfer device having a plurality of tubes arranged in a row, side by side, in the transverse direction. Heat transfer devices of this type are used, for example, in a flat-tube construction, as oil/air coolers or as water/air coolers in motor vehicles. In this type of application, the fluid to be cooled flows from a connection duct operating as the distributor duct on a transverse side of the tube block through the tubes to a connection duct operating as a collecting duct on the other transverse side of the tube block and is cooled by air blown through between the tubes. For improving the heat transfer, a rib structure is usually inserted into the spaces between the tubes.
A tube-block-type heat transfer device is described, for example, in European Published Patent Application EP 0 479 012 A1. There, the flat tubes are spaced by means of one intermediate bottom or supporting ridge respectively on each transverse side of the tube block. In this case, the tubes extend through passage openings in the intermediate bottoms or the support ridges and lead on an open end side into laterally connecting, box-shaped connection ducts used as the distributor or collecting duct.
The invention is based on the technical problem of providing a tube-block-type heat transfer device of the initially mentioned type which is comparatively easy to manufacture and has at least two fluid circulations which are separated from one another.
The invention solves this problem by providing a tube-block-type heat transfer device having a tube block consisting of several tubes which are arranged in a row in the transverse direction side-by-side in a spaced manner and are designed to be flat at least in their end areas, spacing elements which are inserted between two respective adjacent flat tube end areas and are firmly connected with them, and in each case at least one connection duct along each transverse tube block side, wherein the tubes are sealed off on their ends and are provided with transverse openings in their two end areas, which transverse openings are in a connection-duct-forming connection with the spacing element transverse openings, and wherein at least one pair of separation spacing elements which are situated opposite one another in the same space between adjacent tubes is constructed in a closed manner without a continuous transverse opening and, as a result, on each transverse side of the tube block, at least two mutually separated connection ducts are formed for the separate flowing of plural fluids through pertaining tube block sections.
This heat transfer device of preferred embodiments of the invention has a construction which is comparatively easy to manufacture and consists of individual tubes which are situated in a spaced manner side-by-side and are sealed off on the end side, as well as of spacing elements which are inserted between two adjacent tube end areas respectively in order to form the desired spaces between the tubes. The required connection ducts on the transverse sides of the tube block are formed by respective transverse openings which are provided in the end areas of the tubes and in the spacing elements with the exception of the separation spacing elements. By the arranging of a pair of separation spacing elements which have no continuous transverse openings of this type and are situated opposite one another at the same level in the tube block, two or more mutually separated connection ducts are formed on each transverse side of the tube block in a manner which is simple with respect to the manufacturing technique. As a result, the tube block is divided into successive tube block sections through which several fluids can flow separately.
As a result, a heat transfer device having a compact construction is implemented at low manufacturing expenditures through which several fluids can flow in a respective mutually separate fashion. Such a heat transfer device can be used, for example, for the simultaneous cooling of engine oil, on the one hand, and of transmission oil, on the other hand, by means of air in a motor vehicle. In this case, only a single radiator block must be fastened in the vehicle which can easily be designed as a large-surface cooler.
In a further development of preferred embodiments of the invention, U-shaped spacing shoes are provided, each of which reaching around a pertaining tube end area, in which case adjacent spacing shoes are placed against one another in a contacting manner and are firmly connected with one another. In this fashion, the spacing elements which space adjacent tubes are formed of two mutually connected halves respectively of two successive spacing shoes. The separation spacing elements are implemented in that pertaining spacing shoe halves which are situated opposite one another at the same level are not provided with a continuous transverse opening. This construction of the heat transfer device very flexibly permits the entering of the separation spacing elements at any desired level of the tube block so that, with respect to its overall dimension, particularly the number of used tubes, as well as with respect to its division into the mutually fluid-separated tube block sections, during its manufacturing, the tube block can be optimally adapted to the respective application case without any large additional expenditures.
In the case of a further feature of especially preferred embodiments of the invention, the separation spacing elements have a different design on their exposed exterior side areas than the other spacing elements, specifically such that this can be detected by a corresponding sensor system. In this manner, it can be rapidly determined where the separation spacing elements are situated on the finished tube-block-type heat transfer device.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.